The Boy in the Poster
by Anarchy Duck
Summary: De-Anon from Kink Meme. AU. When Antonio Carriedo's young son Lovino goes missing, he'll turn the world upside down just to find a trace of him. Even though he has no idea where to begin.
1. Chapter 1

**The Boy in the Poster**

**Chapter One: Morning**

The apartment wasn't much to look at. It was small, a little old, and had a small, persistent insect problem that the managers refused to take care of. The kitchen was small with a refrigerator that strangely leaked water and the cover on the drawer kept falling off. The bathroom doors didn't have locks on them and the neighbors directly behind them had a knack for hitting the wall and rattling the porcelain canisters. However, the roof didn't leak, there weren't any soft spots in the floors, and the surrounding neighbors (aside from those behind) were nice. For Antonio Fernández Carriedo, that was good enough.

It was Monday morning, nearly 6:50, and the little apartment smelt strongly of cinnamon and honey.

"Lovino! Come hurry and eat!" The twenty-eight year old Spaniard called out from the little kitchen, not taking his eyes off of the breakfast dish. In the living room, the news played unnoticed, giving updates on the state of the economy and details of last night's episode of _'Dancing with the Stars'. _Or was it another reality show? He wasn't quite sure anymore. It was so difficult to keep up with everything going on.

"Dada! Dada!"

The rush sound of little feet gave little warning before a small (though very solid) body crashed into his legs, catching Antonio off guard and causing him to stumble to the side.

He just smiled it off though and looked down, seeing round, honey-brown eyes staring right back at him. "Dada! Ve, it's mornin', Dada!" The child exclaimed, as if Antonio hadn't already known.

The man chuckled and nodded, "I know it is, Feliciano. Ah, I really wish you wouldn't run into _papá_ like that."

Wide eyed, the little boy stepped back from his father, emitting a quick "Oh, 'm sorry." Antonio gently ruffled the boy's auburn colored hair then turned back towards the stove. Below him, the boy stood on his tip toes and craned his neck up. "What's tha'?" He asked, pointing at the pan.

"Ah, don't stand so close Feli." With a gentle push, Antonio moved the child back from the stove, though Feliciano still remained right beside him.

"Ve, what kind?" He asked curiously as he still tried to see exactly what it was Antonio was making.

"It's called _torrijas_ and it's very good." The young man replied as he flipped the last one onto a plate and turned off the stove. He stole a glance at the clock then turned towards the hallway.

"Lovino!"

After not gaining an immediate response, he sighed and looked down at Feliciano, who had turned away to play with a tea towel. "Feli, will you go get your brother for me? Tell him it's time to eat."

"Okay~!" Feliciano dropped the towel and quickly ran down the hall, heading for one of the bedrooms. "Vi Vi~!" He child called out as he searched. He finally came to the bathroom, where he stopped and grew quiet once he saw his older brother.

Little seven-year-old Lovino stood in front of the bathroom mirror, toying with a loose front tooth. He wiggled it with his fingers, noting how loose it felt. Dark auburn brows knitted together as he slowly began pulling and wiggling it a bit more, only stopping once the pain hit. He drew his hand away and looked at it again in the mirror, lips curled back to reveal an already gaping smile. One of his front teeth had already fallen out, and now it's brother would join it.

Speaking of brother, Lovino blinked and noticed his younger sibling standing in the bathroom doorway, staring at him.

He frowned and wiped around to glare at him. "What are you doing in here?" He demanded in annoyance.

The four year old smiled widely, "Ve, Dada says that breakfas' is ready. Come eat!" He said, pointing down the hall towards the kitchen enthusiastically.

Lovino huffed and turned away from the boy. "Tell him to shut up. I'll be there in a minute." He said as he started messing with his loose tooth once more.

Behind him, Feliciano let out a low 'oooooo' sound, followed by saying, "You can't say that, Vi Vi! Tha's-Tha's a bad word."

"No it isn't, stupid!" Lovino retorted as he turned and jumped off the stool, pushing past his brother as he left the bathroom. This didn't seem to faze the younger boy much, as he trailed after him.

"Yea-uh!" Feliciano argued.

"Nu-uh!" Lovino shot back. "Only big kids can say it, not babies. You're still a stupid baby." He turned and went into his bedroom to get his backpack.

Feliciano faltered and he frowned, little brows furrowing. "'m not a baby." He muttered as he followed his brother into their shared room.

"Yes you are." Lovino stated as he stuffed his homework sheets into his bag and zipped it up. "You're a stupid little baby who still wears diapers and you still talk like a baby." With bag in hand, he stood up and turned, just in time to see Feliciano's bottom lip beginning to wobble and tears springing into his eyes. His breath hitched and then he let out a loud cry as tears began rolling down his chubby cheeks.

"_Waaahh!_"

Before Lovino could get a word out, the little boy turned and bolted into the kitchen, where he once again crashed into Antonio. Although, this time, Antonio was somewhat more prepared for it. The sudden yelling had helped.

"Eh? What's the matter now?" He asked as he scooped the child up into his arms, bewildered on what had happened in the last five minutes. At first, he couldn't understand anything from the boy, only getting half-words and choked sobs. At a loss, he rubbed the child's back, muttering things in Spanish in an effort to calm the boy. He didn't seem injured, as Antonio couldn't see any new bruises forming anywhere so it must be something else.

"Shh, it's okay Feli. You're okay. Tell me what happened." He said, trying to coax something out of the boy currently burrowed in his shoulder.

Feliciano hiccupped and snuggled into his father shoulder. "V-Vi Vi sa-said tha'-tha' 'm a ba-baby." He sobbed out.

"Vi Vi called you were a baby?" Antonio asked gently, if only just to make sure he had gotten it right.

Feliciano nodded, "Uh-hu..." He sniffled and rubbed his face against Antonio's shirt.

The young father let out a short sigh, already feeling at a loss at what to do. This sort of thing seemed to happen every day. Lovino and Feliciano would fight, typically ending with Feliciano in tears and running to him. The right thing to do would be to punish Lovino, though Antonio just couldn't bring himself to do it. He could never strike a child, especially one of his own, no matter how badly they were misbehaving. It just seemed wrong.

"Vi Vi is being mean again, isn't he?" Antonio asked as he shifted Feliciano, freeing one of his arms so he could grab one of the two small plates of _torrijas_ and set them on the dining table.

Little Feliciano nodded again and hiccupped, finally calming down. He lifted his head, turning around to look at the table. A couple of fat tears continued their way down his cheeks and Antonio gently wiped them away.

The man smiled at the boy, "Feeling better?" At the boy's nod, he set him down into one of the chairs. He grabbed a napkin and gave Feliciano's face a quick wipe to clean him up. "Okay, eat your breakfast and I'll get Lovi."

"O-Okay, Dada." With another little sniffle, Feliciano picked up his fork and began eating.

Antonio watched him for a moment then turned to head into his son's room. As expected, Lovino was sitting on the floor with his back facing him when he entered. Antonio went into room and squatted down beside him. Lovino didn't look at him, keeping his eyes focused on his backpack.

"Lovi, you know it's not nice to pick on your brother." Antonio started then paused for a moment, waiting for a reply. When Lovino said nothing, Antonio pressed on. "I'm sure you didn't mean it, but just remember not to do that again, okay?"

Keeping his eyes glued to his bag, Lovino nodded shortly. "Okay."

With a warm smile, Antonio ran his hand through his son's dark hair, ruffling it and then stood. "Now come eat before it's time to leave. If you're late again, I'll never hear the end of it from your mother."

"As if she doesn't complain enough." Lovino said as he stood and went out to the dining table, dragging his backpack behind him. Antonio followed after his son and joined them at the table to eat.

There was a brief argument between the siblings again, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle with a little laughter and extra slice of _torrija. _Feliciano babbled about a cute little girl in his pre-K class and how she chased him around the playground, while Lovino brought up his loose tooth and even showed it off to his father and little brother. Feliciano watched with wonderment and Antonio suggested they pull it before heading off to school. Lovino quickly refused.

After breakfast was finished and cleared away (e.i. the dishes thrown into the sink to be dealt with later), Antonio ushered the two children out of the door and headed out to the car. Feliciano climbed into his booster seat and, with a little help from his father, managed to buckle himself in. Lovino sat next to him in the backseat, placing his backpack between him and his brother.

The trip to school was uneventful, aside from the children's soft chattering or singing. By the time Antonio pulled up to the school, it was five to eight.

"I'm going to be late, hurry up!" Lovino demanded as he stood outside of the car, waiting as his father unbuckled his little brother.

"Be patient, Lovi." Antonio said, even though he fully well knew Lovino didn't have a scrap of patience in his body. Antonio swore he got it from his mother. "Okay Feli, here we go~" He set the little one down and shut the car door. "Okay, hold my hand. Lovi, hold my hand."

With a pout, Lovino grudged took hold of his father's hand and the trio crossed the parking lot. There were a few other parents as well, dropping off their children and saying goodbye. While it wasn't mandatory for a parent to escort their children to the door, it was something Antonio liked doing, especially if he was running late. While the staff of Oakend Elementary had never crossed him, he still like to take precautions. Today's world was much different than the world Antonio grew up in.

Standing near the entrance to the school was a young lady named Elizabeta Héderváry. Although she was young (specifically around Antonio's age), she was probably the better of the Pre-K teachers here. Than again, Antonio might just be biased, since Elizabeta was also a decent friend of his. Or, rather, a friend of a friend. Same thing, right?

"Good morning." She greeted, smiling sweetly at Antonio as they approached. "Running a little late again?"

Antonio smiled sheepishly. "Ahaha, we have a rough start today." He said.

Elizabeta nodded in understanding then looked down at the two boys. "Good morning. Lovino, you better hurry to your class."

Lovino nodded and was about to run off when Antonio pulled him back into a quick hug, using his other arm to bring in Feliciano as well.

"Dad..." Lovino groaned, cheeks flushing red in embarrassment while Feliciano just giggled.

"Have a good day, behave, and I'll see you when I get off work." Antonio gave them once last squeeze and a kiss before letting them go. At the sight of Lovino's red cheeks, he smiled and cooed, "You're so cute~"

That apparently was more than enough for Lovino. He pushed away from his father, muttering under his breath, "Shut up, idiot."

Then, he turned and took off into the building. Antonio handed Feliciano to Elizabeta, who was also his teacher, and said his goodbyes. Now it was time for him to get going before he was late to work. His boss had already warned him once before on tardiness and he couldn't afford to loose this job. With a quick glance at the radio clock, he could tell he would have to race to get to work.

Monday morning couldn't get any less hectic.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N :: Do y'all realize how hard it is to get a beta reader? To get a RELIABLE beta reader? Very hard. So, as a warning, I want to inform you all that this story has not been beta'd. _

_Also, I've given up on chapter titles. I'm just going to keep it simple for now on. Oh, and translations and such will be at the bottom of the page for now on. I forgot to add them in with the first chapter, but for now on, they will be there._

_For those of you reading along, first I want to say thank you. Second of all, I would love you all the more if you left a review. I'm looking for constructive criticism. I crave it. So, so bad. You don't even know. Problem is, I can't find it. No one is willing to give it to me. _

_So, if you want to leave a review, maybe you could add in your own thoughts? Opinions on what you might like to see changed or what you liked the most about that particular chapter. I want to get better and I can't do it without a little outside help. =) _

**The Boy in the Poster**

**Chapter Two**

The Lounge Café was located on Main Street in the historic downtown area. In its five years of operation, it has transformed from a simple one brand coffee shop to a small restaurant that served sandwiches and soup. The free WIFI that was offered also helped draw in more customers, particularly college students. The owner of the Lounge was a British man named Arthur Kirkland. His a sharp-tongued, cynical sort of fellow with ridiculously bushy eyebrows. Despite his protests that he trimmed them, no one actually believed it. He was a terrible boss, especially towards Antonio. If he was two minutes late, Arthur would scold him and threaten to fire him on the spot. He also has a knack for criticizing everything the Spaniard did, which in turn made Antonio want to snap back at him. The only reason he held his tongue was because he needed this job. Arthur knew that too.

The worst part about Arthur would be his cooking moods. There were days when Antonio would come in and be smack in the face by the strong smell of burning pastries but, instead of tossing them, Arthur insisted on selling them. Antonio was sure they were in health-code violation for just allowing those things to _exist._ No one would buy them, which meant the blackened scones would sit in the display window for a couple of days, or until someone snuck them out to the dumpster.

Thankfully, today the world was spared of the dreadful scones and, instead, the café smelt wonderfully of coffee and sugar. As an added bonus, Antonio managed to slip in unseen, despite being nearly ten minutes late. Arthur was no where in sight and, according to his coworker Emma, had been closed up in his office all morning.

"This makes, what? The third time you've snuck in late? Your luck is going to run out Toni." She said as she prepared an Americano for a customer.

"Ah, but it hasn't yet." Antonio pointed out as he rang up the customer. After Emma gave them the drink, he waved them off and then added, "And besides, he's too preoccupied with his own troubles to worry about me."

"Yeah, poor thing." Emma then dropped her voice to a whisper as she continued, "I heard his wife ran out on him."

"Eh, again?" Antonio was surprised, but than again this was the third time Arthur's wife had done this so it shouldn't have come at such a shock.

Emma nodded, "Feliks told me yesterday. Plus, he said she had taken one of the kids with her back to Canada. By all accounts, she almost took both of them." She shook her head, turning away to wash the espresso glasses. "He isn't taking it well."

Antonio nodded in understanding, but said nothing. Though he might not have liked Arthur all that well, he couldn't help feel sorry for the man. There was a time when he nearly lost both of his sons. If he hadn't pushed for it, begged and pleaded with his ex-wife, he might have lost them. His ex-wife was not a cruel person but, at the time, she had been so angry at Antonio that she would have taken away the boys just to make him miserable. It took a lot of pleaded on his end to just convince her that he needed his children.

In Antonio's opinion, his kids was the best thing that came out of his failed marriage. Even on the days when they drove him crazy, he still thanked God for them. Having grown up without a father himself, Antonio wanted to be there for his boys. He explained that to his ex-wife as well, stating Hell would freeze before he lost that chance.

The morning progressed without incident. Around noon, Arthur Kirkland made a brief appearance to have his usual Earl Gray and a biscuit before quietly retreated back into his little office. If he knew about Antonio being late, he said nothing about it. In fact, he didn't say much of anything, aside from a short 'Good morning' to both of them as he went back to his office. Emma and Antonio exchanged a glance then carried on with business as usual.

When 1:30 came around, Antonio drifted back into the storage closet to grab a couple of bags of coffee. He was only there for a short time before Emma poked her head in from around the corner.

"Hey Toni, your regulars are here." She said with a smile and then disappeared to the front once more.

Antonio smiled, grabbing a two bags of dark roast and then followed her. Standing near the display window were men dressed as police officers. Both were around Antonio's age, possibly a year or two older than him, though that was where the similarities ended. One of the officers had shoulder length blond hair, though it was currently tied back into a short pony tail. He was very suave looking, in Antonio's opinion, and had a noticeable facial hair around chin. He was taller than his companion, whom had nearly white colored hair and was noticeably paler than any other person in the café. The dark blue uniform only made him appear whiter, though it did bring out his red eyes, giving clear signs to his albinism.

It was the shorter officer who spotted Antonio first and he grinned crookedly, though it looked more like a wide smirk. "Yo Toni, hook me up with a couple of these." He said as he pointed the apple strudels. "I'm starving!"

"What Gilbert means to say is 'good day, _chéri_' and 'how are you?'" The other man said, giving a playful slap to the back of Gilbert's head.

"Ow! The hell Francis?" With a quick rub to the back of his head and a half hearted punch to Francis' shoulder, Gilbert turned back to Antonio. "So yeah, bull shit aside, can I have them?" He asked, pointing at the strudels again and giving Antonio what he guessed were supposed to be puppy eyes. Though, on a man like Gilbert Beilschmidt, the innocent look was too tainted by that signature smirk and half-crazed glint in his red eyes. How he became a police officer still baffled people.

Antonio laughed and reached into the display, grabbing a couple of the pastries with the tongs and set them onto a plate. "And for you Francis?" He asked, looking at the other.

"The same as usual." Francis said casually then asked, "And you will be joining us for lunch, yes?"

"Only if all right with Emma." Antonio replied as he put on a pair of gloves to fix Francis' sandwich. He glanced towards the young blonde woman, whom he knew would be listening.

Emma made a 'hmm' sound in her throat and then nodded, "We've hit a dead zone, so it's all right. Go ahead and take your break Toni."

Antonio thanked her and returned to fixing the sandwich. Once done, he rang it up with the strudels, along with two cup of coffee. Since Gilbert had nothing on him, Francis took care of it. Antonio made his own sandwich and went to join his friends at one of the little round tables. As Emma mentioned beforehand, the café had grown quite quiet. It was typical around this time, since many people usually went to fast food joints or Starbucks across the street. Little love was given to the Lounge during the lunch hour, which was part of the reason Antonio was glad his friends usually stopped in if they were near by. That, and the simple fact he rarely saw either of them nowadays.

"So, we're still on for tonight right?" Gilbert inquired, taking a pause from devouring a strudel.

Antonio stopped mid bite from his sandwich (tomato and basil on fresh ciabatta bread) and blinked confusedly, giving the albino the full deer caught in headlights expression.

To this, Gilbert frowned, "Don't tell me you forgot." The blank, confused expression from Antonio was enough of an answer. The albino let out a frustrated growl, "Come ON, Antonio! We told you about this Saturday!"

"I'm sorry, it's just I've been really busy and I guess it just... slipped my mind." Antonio said apologetically.

Gilbert didn't look convinced. Thankfully, Francis took the moment to intervene. "Now now Gilbert, we cannot place all the blame onto Antoni. After all, he has important responsibilities, remember?" The blond stated.

Gilbert scoffed, "Responsibilities... Man, I thought divorces were supposed to get rid of those." He sighed and decided to resume eating the other strudel. He chewed thoughtfully then asked, "So are we on for tonight or not?"

"What time did you have in mind?" Antonio inquired then took a bite of his sandwich.

"We agreed on eight, right?" Gilbert glanced towards Francis for confirmation, who nodded.

"We decided eight would be best, since that is the little ones bed time." Francis explained and here Antonio must have remembered because his eyes widened and he breathed out, "Oooh..." He chuckled lightly and said, "I did say that, didn't I? Ahaha..." His laughter trailed off as he thought it over. Then, he added, "Ah! I almost forgot. Caterina is supposed to come by and pick up the boys."

His two friends exchanged a concerned and distained look. "... And what time will that be?" Gilbert asked carefully.

"Ah..." Antonio began but then stopped, trailing off. He looked down at the table thoughtfully then shrugged his shoulders. "You know, she didn't say..."

The albino huffed out a sigh, leaning back into his chair. "Great! The last thing I wanted to see was that she-devil."

Francis put down his sandwich and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I too was hoping to not run into her." He murmured.

"Why are you guys always like this? She isn't _that _bad." Antonio insisted. Francis and Gilbert looked at him as though he had just suggested the earth was flat and the center of the universe.

"Antonio, you cannot be serious." Francis stated. "We're talking about your ex-wife, the woman whom took your beautiful, fragile little heart and shattered it into a thousand pieces."

"I don't remember it quite like that..." Antonio trailed off, allowing Francis to continue.

"Then she has the nerve, no - the _audacity _to force you into a life of hell where you are free and yet still caged. Oh, Antonio, my poor friend!" Francis suddenly threw his arms around Antonio's shoulders, pulling the confused man into a somewhat awkward hug. "You are just a victim of love gone wrong!"

Gilbert raised a pale brow at the two. "What the drama queen means-" Here Francis seemed offended. "- is that she's a heartless bitch and needs to stop leading you around like a dog. In other words, step up and lay down the ground rules. Say 'this is what time we will be doing this and nothing else'." He jabbed his index finger against the table to emphasize his point.

Once Antonio peeled Francis off, he set his jaw and nodded, his green eyes suddenly sparking with determination. "You're right! It's about time I take matters in my own hands." This gained a small (possibly mock) applause from his two friends, earning their approve.

"Good." Francis stated, picking up his sandwich to resume eating.

Gilbert wolfed down the remainder of his strudel, washing it down with a healthy gulp of coffee then slammed the cup onto the table. "Speaking of taking matters into his own hands!" He started loudly, making sure his had his friends attentions. "Guess scored a date this Friday? This awesome guy right here." He pointed towards himself, smirking widely.

"Congratulations!" Antonio grinned, glad they had moved off the topic of his ex-wife. While the hurt had healed, it wasn't a conversation he liked to idly speak on. "So, Elizabeta finally said yes?"

Still smirking, Gilbert nodded his head. "Yeah! Though, I just knew it was a matter of time. No one can resist my charm."

"If by charm you mean your over inflated ego, then I cannot see why she didn't go out with you sooner." Francis commented then ducked from a playful swing from the albino.

Antonio laughed, feeling his mood lightening from the previous conversation. "I hope it goes well for you!" He said honestly. It was a well known fact that Gilbert had been harboring a crush for Elizabeta Héderváry since high school. Though, if he was going out with her, than what happened to the man she was dating. Antonio couldn't recall the man's name but he could remember them being quite serious.

The three friends spoke for a little while longer, catching up on the simple things and latest exploits. Francis was now dating a college girl from Canada, making this his third relationship in a year. Almost a record. Gilbert told his story about chasing down a wannabe robber and how awesome it had been to take the man down. Francis added his own snarky comments, commencing a little argument between them with Antonio acting as referee. All too soon, the café began to grow alive once more as people started filing in for their afternoon coffee. They were already beginning to swamp Emma with orders.

"Well," Antonio began as he stood up and threw his trash into a nearby bin. "It seems I have to start again."

"We need to return as well." Francis said as he helped clean the table.

"Those criminals won't lock up themselves." Gilbert added, straightening his hat with a smirk.

"Yes yes..." Francis waved it off, though smiled and turned to Antonio. "Remember to expect us eight o'clock sharp."

Antonio nodded, "Eight o'clock. Yes, okay! I'll see you then." He waved them off, watching as they left the café. With a smile, he returned to work, enthusiastically greeting the customers with a grin. Work always seemed to pass much quicker after his friends visited.

/

Foot Notes ::

_chéri - _dear (French)

_Emma - _Belgium. Considered using Belle but I like name Emma better. Besides, it was on Himaruya's list of suggestions, so there.

_Caterina _- Antonio's ex-wife. Can anyone take a guess as to who she is?


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N :: I would like to thank everyone who left a review. It really does mean a lot to me. Trust me when I say your thoughts influence this story. If you want to see more of it, well you'll just have to leave a thought or two after you read. =) _

_Also, I'm gonna try to update at least one a week, probably every Tuesday. _

_One more thing, I want to wish everyone to have a happy Turkey Day! =D If you don't celebrate it, well I'll just wish you a happy Harvest Day or whatever holiday your culture may celebrate. _

**The Boy in the Poster**

**Chapter Three**

The bell rang loudly in the halls of Oakend Elementary, the empty corridors coming alive as students were released from their classes. Youngsters filed behind their teachers to be led out near the back side of the school, where the busses lined up beside the cafeteria. The others who were not bus-riders were led to the front of the building. There, teachers and staff members watched over the children as they waited for their parents. The younger students, particularly First Grade and below, were watched more carefully by the adults.

Here, Lovino Carriedo Vargas waited with his brother for their father to pick them up. His little brother was sitting behind him, singing his 'ABC's' while digging through his backpack. Out of the corner of his eye, Lovino could see his math teacher - an old woman named Mrs. Miller - talking with one of the Pre-K teachers. He didn't like Mrs. Miller very much. She was boring, strict, and gave out too much homework. Plus, she smelt odd, like his grandparent's old house.

"... E, F, G, L, M, N, O, P..." Feliciano loudly sang out behind him.

"You missed 'H, I, J, and K' again." Lovino said, hardly looking over his shoulder at his little brother.

Feliciano looked up at him, wide-eyed like he always did when someone corrected him. "Oh!" He drew out and smiled widely. Then he began singing again.

Lovino shook his head, turning to look out over the parking lot again. He couldn't see his father's car in the line, which meant he was probably going to be late. His dad was always late. All the other kids would be gone by the time he showed up. It was annoying being the last one to leave. He couldn't understand why his dad couldn't pick them up sooner. After all, his mom could always get them on time.

"Vi Vi? Where's Dada?" Feliciano asked suddenly, drawing Lovino from his thoughts.

The older sibling shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno," He sighed and sat down, leaning back against one of the four large, brick pillars.

"Dada's late again..." Feliciano mumbled with a frown and shake of his head. "Dada shouldn't be late, Vi Vi. If he don't come, then-then we can't go home." He paused then and sighed, "Ve, I wanna go home, Vi Vi."

"Dad's coming to get us, stupid." Lovino stated, rolling his eyes at his little brother. "Mamma would kill him if he didn't."

At the mention of 'Mamma', Feliciano's face brightened. "Do we see Mamma today? I wanna see Mamma. Is she gonna get us?"

Lovino shrugged his shoulders, "Probably." He sighed, leaning his head back against the pillar. It had been a week since his mother dropped them off at his father's house, which meant his mother would be coming back to get them today. That was how it worked. One week at Dad's, one week and Mamma's. That's how it had been ever since his parents stopped living together.

He didn't quite understand it all, but he knew they couldn't live together anymore. Sometimes, he wondered if it had been something he had done. His parents were quick to reassure him that it wasn't his fault.

_"We still love you and Feliciano. We just can't live together anymore. You'll understand once you're older."_

That's what his Mamma said to him. He would 'understand once he was older'. Except, Lovino didn't want to wait until he was older; he wanted to know now. All his friend's parents lived together, so why couldn't his? It was confusing.

"Haha, look Vi Vi! Look!"

Lovino blinked as a picture was suddenly shoved into his face. "What? What is this crap?" He asked as he took the picture from his brother, moving it to a more reasonable distance.

"It's not crap, it's a picture!" Feliciano proclaimed as he moved to sit next to him.

It was a coloring of leaves and a turkey; Autumn themed to match the season. Though the leaves were a messy green, blue and orange, and the turkey looked like a rainbow exploded on it, it was surprisingly neat. Lovino couldn't help noticing how only a few of the irregular coloring was out of the lines. The boy felt a sudden rush of pride well up in his chest at the sight.

"You're staying in the lines more, good. You're getting better." He said as he handed Feliciano back the drawing.

The younger boy seemed to glow in light of the praise. "It's for you, Vi Vi!" He said, pushing the picture back into his brother's hands. "See? I'm drawing just like you!"

Lovino couldn't help smiling a little at how pleased Feliciano sounded. His little brother might have been a pain in the butt, but sometimes he wasn't half bad. "You need to practice more and then you can be as good as me." He explained then proceeded to instruct the small child on how to color within in the lines.

Time passed quicker than Lovino anticipated and, when he looked up again, he could see his father's dark blue car coming to a slow in front of the school. After stuffing the papers back into Feliciano's bag, he stood up and, with his brother's hand in his, went to his father's car.

"You're late." Lovino stated bluntly as he climbed into the car after Feliciano.

"I know, I know," Antonio sighed as he turned in his seat to help his youngest buckle in. "I had to wait for someone to take my shift and they were running late. I couldn't leave until he got there."

Lovino didn't look convinced. If anything, he just rolled his eyes and looked away to stare out the window. "Whatever." He murmured, so soft that Antonio almost didn't hear it.

"Don't 'whatever' me, Lovino." Antonio stated firmly, though not harshly. He really didn't want to start a spat right now, not when he had just picked them up. When he received no response from Lovino, he turned back around in his seat and started the trip home. Almost immediately, little Feliciano began his normal chatter, lightening the mood instantly with his tales of how school went. Even Lovino stopped sulking to join the conversation. Antonio listened to every detail, from Lovino's recount of a fight between two Fourth Graders to Feliciano's elaborate story of the mysterious rocks that appeared in the bathroom. Lovino pointed out that his tooth hadn't fallen out yet, but it was a lot looser than it had been. Antonio made a mental note to tell Caterina when she arrived to pick the boys up.

"It sounds like you both had an exciting day!" Antonio said finally, smiling as he glanced at them in the review mirror. Feliciano nodded enthusiastically and, may have started off in another tangent if Lovino hadn't spoken first.

"So, what time is Mamma coming?" He asked curiously.

"Later tonight." Antonio replied.

_'In other words, she didn't tell you.'_ Lovino thought with a frown. He didn't know why his parents couldn't just sit down and talk like normal people. It would make his (and Feliciano's) life so much easier if he knew what was going on. Most of the time, he didn't have a clue. The adults just kept all the facts to themselves. It was irritating. Maybe if he started keeping stuff from them, they wouldn't be so secretive.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, Antonio and his sons head home. With the help of his boys, they managed to put away the groceries in record time. Afterwards, the boys hopped onto the couch and turned on the TV. While they watched cartoons, Antonio took the opportunity to call his ex-wife. She didn't get off work until around five o'clock but she normally answered her phone. It was a good thing her boss didn't mind.

To his surprise, the call went straight to her voicemail. Thinking she might be on the phone, he waited a little while before trying again. He got the same result.

_'Weird,' _Antonio thought as the automated voice played. _'She must have her phone off.'_

He decided to leave her a message, asking her to call back as soon as she could, then hung up. There was nothing else to now but wait.

"Did Mamma answer?" Lovino asked, looking over the back of the couch at his father.

"No, she didn't." Antonio replied as he put the phone back on the hook. He turned just in time to catch the disappointed look in his son's eyes and quickly added, "But no worries~! She'll be here."

Lovino mumbled something inaudible as he turned around to resume watching cartoons. He didn't need to say anything for Antonio to know he was upset. He'd never been quite right after the separation. Both he and Caterina noticed behavior problems beginning to emerge and Lovino's teachers said he sometimes acted out during class. They tried talking to the boy but couldn't get anything out of him. Before, he and Lovino used to be so close and could freely talk about anything. Now, it took some talk from Feliciano to get Lovino to speak up. He didn't know what he could do to help Lovino, except just make him feel loved an appreciated.

With a smile, Antonio went over and sat down beside the boys, gathering Lovino up onto his lap. "Looks like someone needs a cheer up charm~!" He grinned, ignoring Lovino's protests as he hugged the boy.

"Cheer charm! Cheer charm!" Feliciano chimed next to him, crawling up to wrap his little arms around his brother.

"I don't need a-ahaha" The rest of his words dissolved into giggles as Antonio began tickling him. He struggled, trying to get away and failing horribly. Antonio held tight and even Feliciano joined in, his little fingers worming around his brother's body.

"S-Stop it!" Lovino laughed, trying in vain to protect himself. "_Me rindo! Me rindo!" _He shouted finally, resorting to Spanish in an attempt to make them stop.

The tickling did stopped with Antonio gathering both children into his arms and giving them a tight hug. "_Mis niños~_" He cooed over them then released them. "Ah, who's hungry?"

"Me~!" Both siblings chimed and scrambled off their father's lap as they ran to the kitchen. Antonio trailed after them, managing to stop any digging through the fridge and cabinets.

Later, after the snacks were gone and little hungry filled, Feliciano ran off to play in his bedroom and Lovino sat down at the table to do homework. Antonio busied himself by tiding up the house. If Caterina was coming over, he couldn't have a dirty house. She would fuss and do that cute scowl that made Antonio wonder what happened. Then she would continue to nag and yell at him until he was reminded exactly why they'd gotten a divorce.

Somewhere, deep inside, Antonio knew he still loved Caterina. To some degree. It wasn't the love he once felt; it was a different sort of love. He still cared for her, of course, but now it was more for the children's sake rather than hers. Aside from that, he wouldn't be a man if he just abandoned her. Not that he could do that, especially not with two adorable, wonderful children to care for.

Speaking of children, he couldn't hear any noise coming out of the boy's bedroom. In fact, it had gone very quiet.

Antonio paused in washing the dishes and looked towards the hallway. "Feliciano, you'd better not be in my room." He stated loudly, letting a subtle warning carry down the hall.

Hardly a second later, he heard a squeaky 'Ve' that was quickly followed by the rush of little feet coming from his bedroom and stopping once they entered the boy's room.

With a small smile, Antonio continued with the dishes. He was very glad Caterina had taught him that trick.

At the table, Lovino set his pencil down and slide off the chair. "Can I go outside?" He asked as he knelt down by the door to put on his shoes.

"Did you finish your homework?"

Lovino huffed, "Yeah, so can I go?" He finished tying his shoes and stood up, arms crossed over his shoulder and scowling in the direction of his father.

Antonio glanced behind him at the wall clock then at the table. "Well... Since you finished, I guess it will be all right."

The boy's scowl changed into a grin and he was halfway out the door when he heard his father say, "Stay at the playground! And don't go too far!"

"Okay!" Lovino replied and shut the door. From the kitchen window, Antonio watched as the boy scampered down the concrete steps and ran off, disappearing around the corner of the building.

The playground was small in comparison to the one at his school. Instead of plastic, the majority of the play structure was made of wood and metal. The only plastic on the structure were the slides, which had been replaced only a year ago after too many complaints of burnt bottoms. The swings and seesaw showed signs of years of use and the long dark wooden planks that outlined the sandboxed play area were missing huge chunks, allowing the sand to mix in with the grass surrounding it.

There were a few children already playing when Lovino stepped up into the play area. He recognized them all. On the swing set was Michelle, a little dark-skinned girl from apartment 1302. Her hair was always in long pigtails with red ribbons. Next to her, playing in the dirt, were Leon and Eirík. Both were older than Lovino and looked completely opposite. Leon was dark headed and had thick eyebrows where else Eirík was very light headed and impossibly pale. They were both, however, very quiet and preferred to keep to themselves. Coming down the slide was Lili, whom was in Lovino's class. He thought she was pretty, even after she'd cut her blond hair short. Her older brother Vash scared him though. He was sitting on the benches nearby, watching his little sister under careful supervision.

Then there was the strange man standing beneath the tree near the swimming pool. He appeared to be smoking a cigarette but he was staring at the play ground. For a moment, Lovino could have sworn the man was staring directly at him. Though the stranger stood beneath the tree, Lovino could tell the man was dark skinned, much like his father. The thing that disturbed him the most, however, was the mask. The stranger wore part of a mask that covered the upper portion of his face. The boy frowned at the stranger, unnerved by his presence.

"Lovi!" A rush of pink fabric and yellow clouded his vision as Lili ran to him. She smiled sweetly at Lovino, causing his cheeks to warm.

"H-Hi Lili." He replied bashfully, managing a smile in return.

"Do you wanna play tag?" She asked as she twisted and turned, causing her pink dress to twirl with her. "Me and Chelle were gonna play against Leon and Eirík."

Lovino nodded enthusiastically, "Sure!" He smiled widely and followed her towards the swings.

Underneath a nearby tree, the strange masked man slowly blew out a puff of smoke. He watched the children running about, climbing and crawling around the play structure. His dark-colored eyes followed the children as they played, shifting from the dark-toned girl to the little boy with the odd curl. A smirk formed on his olive-skinned, bearded face as he dropped the cigarette and rubbed it out with the heel of his boot. With one last look at the playground, he turned and walked down the sidewalk towards the parking lot.

_Author's Notes_

_Me rindo :: _I surrender (roughly) (Spanish)

_Mis niños :: _My boys (Spanish)

Names

Michelle :: Seychelles

Leon :: Hong Kong

Eirík :: Iceland

Lili :: Lichtenstein


End file.
